The Champagne Diet of Cara Alwill Leyba.

Cara Alwill Leyba, a writer who works for MTV, has come up with a plan that's perfect for the holiday season called The Champagne Diet. And for some time, she's been documenting her experience with it on a blog, soon to be a book, called The Champagne Diaries. The philosophy that helped her pare pounds: Eating nutrient-dense, tasty foods - anything you want, as long as it's in the range of 1,200-1,400 calories a day. Oh yeah, and having a glass or two of champagne. That's all there is to it!

The backbone of the "diet" is basically "glamorizing your meals," meaning ... not short-change yourself on grilled salmon or little bit of goat cheese. You know, the high-quality ingredients you crave but pass over because of price or because you think, "Who except Oprah can treat themselves to that kind of thing every day?"

But the point is that you deserve the best. Denying yourself "goodies" like sweets and alcohol just leads to disaster - potentially even binging. It always drives me nuts when people will say they don't eat any "white foods" or they've "quit sugar." Give me a break! How is that any way to live your life?? And knowing you can handle those things in moderation is empowering! What's more, treating yourself well - maybe even a bit like an heiress or a queen - really does get you into a healthier frame of mind. You start thinking, "Yeah, I am worth it. I deserve to take amazing care of myself. Even if that better-for-me, higher-quality dinner or lunch costs just slightly more right now, it's worth it in the long-run!" 

Plus, champagne really is a fantastic, lower-cal (just 91 calories per glass) choice if you're going to allow yourself a drink or two at parties or happy hour. Another bonus: It reaches your bloodstream quicker than other drinks, so you end up drinking less. Unless you don't ... and you just keep goin' for it, and you end up really tipsy! But hey, you're still losing weight! Ha.

See, Cara is definitely on to something. Seriously, I can't think of a better, healthier, or bubblier lifestyle to adopt - especially just before the holidays!